November 22, 2012

Until a few years ago, it used to be possible to play football all year round on the broad stretch of grass that lies between the Victoria Memorial and the bowling greens. But in recent years, the land has become very marshy, especially in the Winter making it difficult for people to walk on without their shoes becoming covered in thick mud.

The problem has suddenly become very much worse since work carried out two weeks ago to prepare the area for the annual bonfire staged by the council’s Central Events Team.

The area is now covered with pools of water – something never been seen before in living memory.

The problem has been caused by the Central Events Team bringing heavy vehicles onto the Moor so that they can put down the heavy metal barriers needed to hold back the crowds from the bonfire.

These vehicles have damaged the drainage pipes that were laid down at considerable expense after the Moor was purchased in 1857.

Prior to the laying of those pipes, the Moor was a a real moor, with large unusable marshy areas. The reason it was so boggy is because there are several springs beneath the ground.

On a quiet day after rain, if you stand on the grass that slopes down towards Hyde Park Road, you can hear the water running through the drainage pipes that lie beneath the ground.

Given the council’s current lack of funds, it seems unlikely that the damage to the drainage system will be repaired in the foreseeable future.